attempted

past tense of attempt
as in tried
to make an effort to do after attempting—and failing—to start the lawn mower on my own, I finally succeeded with a neighbor's help don't even attempt walking on your broken foot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of attempted Following the guilty verdict on September 23, Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen as jurors exited the courtroom, according to multiple accounts from reporters present. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 The man and his uncle were on their way to a home remodeling job when immigration authorities attempted to stop their truck in his Avondale neighborhood. Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 25 Oct. 2025 Apollo, for example, attempted to acquire Cedar Fair back in 2010 before their merger fell through due to lack of investor support, and Blackstone already owns Great Wolf Lodge – a complementary asset. Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025 But Zuckerberg has been concerned that the company’s investments have not led to rapid progress, and has attempted a reorganization. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for attempted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attempted
tried
Verb
  • Only four minutes later, Kilman tried to pass around Aaronson, but gave it straight to the attentive No 11.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In 1985, he was tried and acquitted for the murder of his first wife.
    Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Attempted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attempted. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on attempted

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!